Electrical system for cyclic controls



Dec. 1, 1953 s. J. ons 2,661,060

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FOR CYCLIC CONTROLS Filed June 21, 1951 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR.

5%4 7 on; BY @530? H A TTORNEY 'r SheetS-Sheet '2 S. J. OTIS ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FOR CYCLIC CONTROLS O o o o 0 as :a 51 a;

Dec. 1, 1953 Filed June 21, 1951 INVENTOR. STuA O ma. load,

A TTORNEY Dec. 1, S. J. OTIS ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FOR CYCLIC' CONTROLS Filed June 21 1951 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 Finifi.

INVENTOR.

By QM H. i,&-/

A TTORNEY Dec. 1, 1953 s. J. oTls 2,661,060

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FOR CYCLIC CONTROLS Filed June 21, 1951 '7 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. 90. y on;

war/1 1m A TTORNEY Dec. 1, 1953 s. J. OTIS ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FOR CYCLIC CONTROLS Filed June 21, 1951 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 SWITCH PROGRAM CLOCK INVENTOR. 7:42 $7. at; BY @QZQF/Y A TTORA'EY Dec. 1, 1953 s. J. OTIS ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FOR CYCLIC CONTROLS 7 Sheets-$het 6 Filed June 21, 1951 INVLN TOR. Sax/m 7. OZ; mu /1 .MWZM

ATTORNEY Dec. 1, 1953 s. J. OTIS 2,661,060

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FOR CYCLIC CONTROLS Filed June 21, 1951 '7 Sheets-Sheet 7 IN ENTOR. 57%1217 BY wax/w @JM/ A T TO RNEY Patented Dec. 1, 1953 Stanley J. Otis, Madison, Wis.

Application June 21, 1951, Serial No. 232,793

16 Claims.

The present invention relates to electrical systems and apparatus and more particularly to means for effecting the sequential operation of a plurality of instrumentalities in accordance with a predetermined time cycle.

The system includes a program clock or equivalent control which may be adjustably set to the predetermined cycle so as to close a control circuit at selected time intervals, in combination with a transfer switch which will be actuated by the clock and will close circuits to the several instrumentalities in accordance with the predetermined desired sequence.

Program clocks, and electrical energization systems controlled by them, are old in the art, both individually and in combination. The present invention may and preferably does contemplate the use of a known type of program clock, but it differs from the prior art in including in the system a novel transfer switch and novel circuits combining the transfer switch with the program clock.

Principal objects of the invention are to eliminate costly parts (such, for example, as a multiplicity of heavy duty contact points) and complex wiring, elements and connections, to facilitate and simplify resetting to changed instrumentalities to be energized or changed sequences, to insure unfailing operation, to distribute loads so as to minimize peak demand, and generally to im- I structure are used to control automatically the operation of laying battery of the kind disclosed and claimed in my copending application Serial No. 210,015, Automatic Feeding and Watering Apparatus for Laying-Batteries, filed February 8, 1951, in which chickens are sequentially supplied with feed and fresh drinking water, drinking cups are flushed, droppings are removed and dried, and eggs are collected, weighed and graded, with each operation being performed as many times per day as may be desired, for a considerable number of individual cages, all under the control of a single integrated electrical system including a single program clock and a single transfer switch. But this embodiment of the invention is illustrative merely, and the principles of the invention are not limited to such use but are of broad application to substantially all arts and field in which a plurality of different appliances which are capable of being electrically actuated must be operated sequentially in accordance with some predetermined time cycle.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be sufficiently evident to those skilled in the art from the following description of a preferred embodiment as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a type of program clock that is well adapted to be used in the present inventive combination;

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the preferred form of transfer switch provided by the invention;

Fig. 3 is an end elevational view, with certain of the parts broken away, of the transfer switch;

Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view taken on the line -4 of Fig. 2;

5 is a diagrammatic elevational view of the transfer switch, showing the connections at the rear thereof, as if viewed through the front;

Fig. 6 is a wiring diagram of the program clock;

Fig. '7 is a sectional view through the cam drive shaft of the program clock showing the related cam mechanism in generally diagrammatic form;

Fig. 8 is a side elevational view of the parts shown in Fig. 7

Fig. 9 is a wiring diagram of the combined program clock and transfer switch;

Fig. ii) is a wiring diagram of electrical con trols for an automatic mechanism for supplying feed and drinking water to a laying battery, and for removing and drying droppings therefrom, which mechanism is typical of the kind of apparatus with which the invention may be used; and

Fig. 11 is a wiring diagram of electrical controls for mechanism for collecting, counting and weighing eggs in the laying battery.

The program clock 2%! shown in Fig. l is standard item No. P5-2e manufactured by Zenith Electric Company, Chicago, Illinois, and comprises a panel 2! on which an hour face 22 is journaled for one complete rotation in each 24- hour period by a synchronous motor 23 (Fig. 9). Also driven by this motor are a minute hand 24 which makes one revolution per hour and a cam drive shaft 2% (Figs. 7 and 8) which rotates once each 10 minutes. The clock face is suitably in scribed as shown for cooperation with the hands to indicate the correct time and the motor is supplied with standard A. C. house current from terminals 2%.

Cut into the outer peripheral edge of the rotatable hour face 22 are a plurality of equally spaced radial slots 21', each of which is adapted to receive and hold any one of a plurality of clips 28. In the illustrated embodiment the slots 27; are spaced at five minute intervals, making a total of 288 slots. This is a convenient and adequate number for all purposes for which the present invention has actually been used, but obviously the number is not critical and may be increased or decreased to suit varying needs.

Each clip 28 inserted in a slot 21 projects ra dially or otherwise from the hour face 22 so that as the hour face rotates the clips will successively engage and swing an arm 29 which is pivoted on shaft 30 mounted on the panel 2|. The arm 29, when moved by a clip, closes the normally open contacts 3| and 32 of switch 33 which is mounted on the back of the panel 2| and is shown diagrammatically in Fig. 6, thus momentarily completing through these contacts a circuit to the terminals 34 and 35 which are accessible from the front of the panel 2! for connection respectively to an ungrounded signal-circuit supply line lead and to a signal-circuit load lead, as will be hereinafter described.

Complete closing of the circuit shown in Fig. 6 is, as will be evident from that figure, dependent on more than mere engagement of the contacts 3| and 32. As there shown, the circuit includes a toggle switch 36 which is normally kept closed but which may be opened whenever it is desired to disconnect the signal circuit without stopping the program clock, and it includes also a push button switch 31 which is normally open but which may be closed at any time to complete the signal-circuit independently of the switch 33.

The circuit includes also a switch 38 formed by contacts 39 fixed on spring arms 40 which are anchored in fixed relation to the panel 2! and each of which has a free end riding on. one of a pair of cam discs 4|, 42 which are fast on the shaft 25. One of these discs is permanently locked on the shaft and the other is adjustably fixed thereon, as by a setscrew 43, so that the discs may be relatively rotated on the shaft and fixed in such position as to vary the effective size of the openings made by the valleys 44 formed at diametrically opposite locations in the disc periphones.

It will be remembered that the shaft 25 makes one complete rotation every ten minutes. Consequently the switch 38 will close every five minutes if the discs 4| and 42 be so positioned on the shaft that the upper spring arm 49 will drop into a valley 44 while the lower spring arm continues to be held up by the high part of its disc. It will be evident that this closed condition will be maintained until continued rotation of the shaft brings disc 4| to a position in which lower spring arm 4|! will drop into it. It will also be evident that both the make and the break can be made to occur so quickly as to prevent objectionable arcing by simply so shaping the leading edges of the valleys that the arms will snap down with quick and sudden action. As shown in Fig. 7 these leading edges are made substantially radial, or they may even be made slightly undercut. trailing edge of each valley may be formed to present a gradual slope by which the upper arm is first lifted and then the lower arm is raised to maintain the open circuit condition until, slightly less than five minutes later, the diametrically opposite valleys 4 4 reach the arm ends for again closing the switch.

The relative positioning of the cam discs 4 42 on the shaft 25, and the resulting time lag between descent of the upper spring arm 30 into the The rise at the iii) valley of disc 42 and descent of the lower arm into the valley of disc 4|, determines the time during which the switch 33 is closed. It will be evident from Fig. 6 that the circuit to the terminals 34, can be completed by closing of the switch 33 only at such time as the contacts 39 of switch 38 are engaged. In other words, the program clock clips 28 may close the switch 33 at any five minute interval in the clocks operation, but completion of the circuit through this switch depends on the switch 38. As has been explained, the switch 38 closes once each five minutes. By appropriately adjusting the relative positions of the cam discs 4!, 42 on the shaft 25, the switch 38 is made to close a few seconds after the moment at which arm 29 moves to close switch 33 under the influence of any clip 28, and is made to open a few seconds before the arm moves back to open switch 33. In this way the signal circuit of Fig. 6 is made and broken always at the switch 38, and it results that only the contacts 39, which are quick operating as has been explained, need be specially made to withstand damage from arcing.

As will be understood from Fig. 6, the normally open pushbutton switch 31 can be actuated at any time to close the signal circuit independently of the switches 33 and 38. This is for the purpose of energizing such instrumentality as may at the time be connected in the circuit by the transfer switch which will now be described.

The purpose of the transfer switch 50, which is. best shown in Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5, is to effect, by a step by step movement, the establishment of a circuit sequentially and successively through each of the several instrumentalities that are to be operated, and to make advance preparation of these circuits for completion and energization upon the delivery of an impulse from. the program clock. Use of the transfer switch in the system thus confines the function of opening and closing the energizing circuits to the contacts 39 of switch 38, so that only these contacts, and none in the transfer switch or else where in the system, need be specially, and hence expensively, made and designed to withstand damage from arcing. The invention accomplishes this desirable result, using for most of the instrumentalities a parallel source of control power provided by such means as a limit switch or a relay automatically and immediately upon closing of the signal circuit (Fig. 6) by the program clock.

The transfer switch 50 includes a panel 5|, of insulating material like the panel 2| of the program clock, in which a plurality of contact points 52 are fixed in a circular pattern. Each point may be a slotless, round-headed copper or brass bolt, and the points may be provided in any number that will afford sufficient circuits for the instrumentalities to be controlled. In the illustrated embodiment seventy-two points are equally spaced on a circle of twelve inch diameter.

Each point 52 is connected to a terminal 53. Fig. 5 shows at 54 each one of six twelve-wire cables which make the connections on the back of the panel 5|, and this figure and Fig. 2 show the terminals 53 arranged in a bank on the lower portion of the panel. The. connected contacts and terminals may be identified by numerals, as shown. The terminals may be standard plugreceiving jacks of the type used on telephone switchboards. The plugs, as will be explained hereinafter, are the terminal elements of the instrumentalities to be operated.

At the center of the circle of contact points 52 the panel 5| is formed with an opening in which a bearing 55 is mounted by a nut 55 for journaling a shaft 5! which projects beyond both front and rear faces of the panel. A small synchronous motor 58 is bracketed on the rear of the panel and geared to the shaft by a coupling 513 to rotate it at the rate of one-third revolution per hour. Leads 68 are connected to a supply circuit for the motor which will be later described.

A contact disc 6|, which may be made of the same material as the panel is provided with a hub 62 secured to its center by bolts 53, and the hub is locked on the shaft 57 by a setscrew 3. A slip ring 65 is fixed on the front face of the contact disc 6! by three peripherally spaced studs 66.

A spring contact arm 51 has one end secured to the rear face of contact disc iii by a bolt 68 and by one of the slip ring studs 56, thus fixing the arm radially on the contact disc and electrically connecting it to the slip ring. The free end of the arm has its side radial edges turned up in slight curvature so as to facilitate wiping the contacts 52, which are located the same radial distance from the shaft 57 as the end of the ar and against which the arm is biased by its inherent resilience. Diametrically opposite the arm 6'! a wheel bearing 69 is bracketed on the contact disc iii to ride on the panel 5! and counteract the thrust of the arm and maintain the disc parallel to the panel. The weight of this bearing 68 and its mounting bracket may be balanced by a counterweight l bolted to the arm. It will be appreciated that with this arrangement the torque on the shaft of the motor is maintained constant for all positions of the arm in engagement with any of the contacts 52.

Spaced equidistantly around the periphery of contact disc El are tripping prongs H provided in the same number as the contact points 52, i. e., 72 in the illustrated embodiment. Each prong may be made, as shown in Fig. 2, of a short length of ordinary steel wire with its inner end rebent to provide parallel runs that can be caught beneath the heads of a pair of radially spaced bolts 72 with a free end of one of the runs projecting radially well beyond the periphery of the disc. The prongs can be individually adjusted radially by loosening the bolts l2.

These prongs, when fixed to project sufiiciently, are adapted successively, as the disc 6i rotates, to wipe the spring arm of a double pole limit switch i i which is mounted on the panel 5| so that the arm '5 stands in the path of the properly projecting prongs, as shown in Fig. 2. This limit switch, as indicated in Fig. 5,. comprises normally closed contacts 35 and normally open contacts 1E, and the adjustment relative positions of the parts are such that as contact disc 55 rotates in a clockwise direction as viewed in Figs. 2 and 5 the outer free end of each projecting tripping prong ii slides along the spring arm 13 and depresses the arm enough to separate the contacts 15 and close the contacts when the prong is closely approaching the free end of the spring arm. Th arm is sufficiently resilient to absorb in bending stress such pressure as the prong may apply in further moving along the arm after the actuating point is reached. Of course as soon as the prong slips oif the end of the arm, the arm springs back to its ori inal position shown in Fig. 5, and remains in that posi- 6; tion until actuated by the next succeeding prong.

The point of initial actuation of arm 13, at which contacts 55 become separated, is so related to the position of spring contact arm 5'! that the contacts i5 separate just after the free end of arm at engages a contact point 52.

A tubular brush arm 8t is bolted at 6| to the upper left hand front face of the panel 5! and extends radially inwardly over the contact disc Si to terminate in a pair of brushes which wipe the slip ring 65. A wire 33 (Fig. 5) connects the brush 32 with a terminal 84 mounted in the lower portion of the panel 5!, below the bani; of jacks 53, into which may be plugged a connection from program clock terminal 35. Terminals S5 and 56 are also disposed adjacent to the terminal Terminal 8& is connected to the fixed one of the normally closed contacts of the switch. and terminal to is connected through the transfer switch driving motor 58 and thence to the arm 13 of switch it (or to those of the contacts l5 and it which movable and are car ied on the arm '53). The fixed contact it is connected to the terminal as, and the terminal is is grounded at 8?. A fourth termi nal, shown at 82, may be added and connected in the circuit with a relay 88a for use in case the motor 53 is wired for a dinferent voltage from that of the signal circuit output of the program clock.

The terminal 8:? is connected, as has been stated, to program clocl; terminal and the terminals as and are connected respectively to program clock terminals 35 and ground.

Connections from the instrumentalities to be operated under control of the program clock are made by plugging into the terminal jacks Three such instrumentalities are indicated diagrammatically at so Fig. 5.

Bridging the contact disc Si is a metal yoke which is secured to the panel 5! by bolts 9! at its ends so as to straddle the contact disc in a direction substantially normal to the length of the tubular arm as best shown in Fig. 2. This yoke mounts at its center a bearing block 92 for the shaft Accurate adjustment for proper alignment of the shaft can be made by standing the bearing block bolts through slots in the block, and by providing a similar arrange- ."ment for a bolt t l in the at one end of the yoke.

It is to be noted that in order to simplify the showing in Fig. 3 there have been omitted from the figure all contact points except the single i one at the top, which appears under the spring arm 51, as well as all tripping prongs ii except the yoke and block $2.

nections as the 1%,

, on which arm are the switch it as and 8?; to the various points on the transfer switch as shown in 5.

It will be understood that the purpose of the ransfer switch a used conjunction with e program elect. l (l) to establ (1 energization of the icular instrum ntal ty circuit which is com. ted to the contact point 52 fig, (2) to maintain such a is res energization long en ugh to permit the limit switch or other locking device of the particular circuit to over and assimie c '1} and (3) then automatically to rotate arm ii? in a clockwise direction and bring it to a stop on the next adjacent contact point 52.

The manner in which these objectives are accomplished will be evident from a consic" e1 tion of the manner in which the system operates, which is as follows:

When the program clock 2%] registers that particular time of a 24-hour day at which the system is set to operate a given instrumentality, a clip 23 lifts arms 29 of switch 33 and closes contacts 3|, 32. Prcmptly thereafter the cam discs 4| and 42 cause contacts 39 of switch 38 to close, and a signal-circuit impulse flows from the program clock to arm 51 of transfer switch 50. Assuming that at this time the arm 61 is resting on one of the contact points 52, and that the corresponding jack 53 is connected to a particular instrumentality, current flows to that instrumentality and it begins to operate. How ever, the switch 14 has been actuated by a prong H and contacts 15 have been closed. Part of the impulse current consequently flows through the contacts 16 to energize motor 58 and thus turn shaft 51 and contact disc GI slowly clockwise.

This movement is a slow one. In the illustrated embodiment the shaft 51 turns at the rate of one-third revolution per hour, so that approximately two and one-half minutes elapse before the arm 61 traverses the five degrees of are between the first engaged contact point 52 and the next one of the seventy-two contact points. The program clock, however, is set to deliver an impulse of approximately forty-five seconds duration. By making the width of the wiping end portion of arm 61 such that the duration of engagement with each contact point 5?. is approximately sixty seconds, the signal circuit will inevitably be interrupted by the opening of switch 38 before the arm 61 leaves the particular contact point 52 which it was wiping.

It is to be noted that both sets of contacts and 16 of switch 14 function in the full desired operation of the transfer switch. When the motor 58 first receives a signal-circuit impulse from the program clock, one of the tripping prongs H has acted on arm 13 of the switch 14 to open the normally closed contacts 15 and to close the normally open contacts 16. This causes the signal-circuit impulse current to flow through contacts 16 to energize the motor 58. After some ten or fifteen seconds of operation the motor has turned the contact disc SI sufliciently for the prong TI to have passed off the arm 13 and released it, thus restoring the contacts of switch 14 to their normal condition so that the motor 58 becomes energized from a source independent of the program clock and the motor continues to operate and does not stop when the signal-circuit impulse from the program clock ends, as it does quite promptly, as for example in some forty-five seconds. The open condition of contacts 16 prevents power from the independent source from energizing the instrumentality circuit which includes or is connected to the next adjacent contact point 52 when the arm 61 engages that point. The motor 58 continues to rotate the contact disc BI until the arm 61 becomes well seated on the next adjacent contact point 52, at which time the next succeeding tripping prong 1I actuates the switch 14 to open contacts 15 and close contacts 16. This opens the circuit to the independent power source and reestablishes continuity with the signal-circuit of the program clock. However, since the signal-circuit impulse is maintained for only about forty-five seconds, no

more power from the program clock can flow to the motor 58 through the closed contacts 16. The motor consequently stops and does not start again until the next signal-circuit impulse is received from the program clock, which of course occurs at such time of day as brings the next tripping clip 28 up to actuate the arm 29. When this occurs, the transfer switch directs power to the instrumentality in circuit with the contact point 52 on which the arm 61 has been brought to rest.

During the switching of the circuits by the moving of the arm 61 from a first to a second contact point 52, it is of course necessary to maintain the operation of the instrumentality connected to the first contact point. This is accomplished by the electrical locking in of the original circuit by means of auxiliary contacts on appropriate contactors or relays or by the closing of circuit limit switches. The specific form of such arrangements constitutes no part of the present invention and will readily be understood and supplied by those skilled in the art. However, certain such fcrms are shown in Figs. 9, 10 and 11, which illustrate diagrammatically an application of the present system to the several instrumentalities of an automatically operated laying battery used in poultry husbandry, as is explained more in detail in my copending application Serial No. 210,015. These figures will now be briefly explained.

Fig. 9 is a schematic representation of the combined program clock and transfer switch, showing the drive motor I00 for supplying poultry feed, its contactor IUI, the drive motor I02 and contactor I03 for a droppings collector, and the drive motor I04 and contactor I05 for an egg collector. The transfer switch contact points 52 are shown connected, each through one of a plurality of leads I06, with the relays I01, electric clutches I08, droppings driers I09, and conveyor belt travel limit switches III), of a system for periodically driving the floor belts of a battery in which twenty-four cages are arranged in three levels each havingtwo rows each four cages long. The droppings removal and drying instrumentalities are shown in Fig. 10, which is a continuation of the showing in Fig. 9 (compare the leads I06 of the two figures), and Fig. 10 shows also the relays III, electric clutches H2 and solenoid tripping pins II5 of the feeding system, main solenoid valve H3 and flushing solenoid valves I I4 of the watering system, as well as the switchboard main disconnect switch H6 and appropriate fuses I I1. The electric clutches may be the type which form the subject of copending application Serial No. 197,482, filed November 24, 1950, by the present applicant and Norman J. Wedekind, entitled Clutch Mechanism.

Referring again to Fig. 9, it will be observed that certain of the contact points 52 are connected by leads H8 to the leads H8 in Fig. 11 so as to energize the egg collection, counting and weighing instrumentalities diagrammatically indicated in Fig. 11. These include the relays I19, electric clutches I25, solenoid operated egg barriers I 2!, egg collection belt travel limit switches I22, ratchet counter relays I23, mercury counter switches I26, and the counters for the individual cages shown as numbered squares at the right hand side of Fig. 11, along with the two totalizing counters (for small and l r e eg s respectively) shown at T at the top of the figure. It will be understood that a relay I23 is provided for the row of cages of the three levels and two columns. A counter for large eggs and a counter for small eggs is provided for each of the four cages of each row, as shown in Fig. 11 where the counters are numbered to correspond to the four cages of each row.

Referring again to Fig. 9, manual control switches I25 are shown by which any of the instrumentalities can be operated independently of the transfer switch and program clock. These switches are of course kept open during automatic operation of the system, and switches H6 (Fig. 10) 36 (Fig. 1) and any program clock disconnect switch I25 may be provided as shown in Fig. 9, are kept closed in order that signal circuit impulses from the program clock may reach the transfer switch. Illumination of the green indicator light I26 (Fig. 9) shows that the program clock is operating, and illumination of the red light I21 indicates that a signal circuit impulse is being delivered by the program clock.

It will be understood that the exemplar system diagrammatically indicated in Figs. 9, 10 and 11 involves sixty-two separate operations performed in sequence over a twenty-four hour operation of the program clock. lhis is less than the capacity of the transfer switch, which is provided with seventy-two contact points 52. Consequently ten of the contact points 52 are shown in Fig. 9 unconnected to any of the leads I I8, and the transfer witch is arranged to bring the arm 6! to stop on contact point No. 1 after it leaves contact point N o. 62. In this way the days cycle is repeated on the following day, beginning when the time indicated by the program clocir is that at which the first tripping clip 28 has been set to actuate the switch arm 29. To arrange for movement of the arm 6'! directly continuously across the ten contact points 52 which are not used in the illustrated embodiment of the system, the bolts 12 of those ten points are loosened,

the ten prongs i! are retracted slightly, and the bolts are tightened. This setting causes the retracted prongs to pass switch "l4 without actuating its arm '13. Thus the normally closed contacts 75 remain closed and motor 58 continues to rotate contact disc 5! until the tripping prong ll associated with contact point No. l is reached. This prong is projecting and actuates the arm 33 of switch 14.

This same expedient of retracting into inoperative position all tripping prongs ii at the end of the cycle can be used to disable any prong asso ciated with a contact point which is connected to any instrumentality which for any reason it may be desired not to operate.

For an operations which are to be repeated during twenty-four hours of operation of the program clock, jumpers may be run between appropriate terminals 53 of the transfer switch panel.

It is believed that the foregoing description of the preferred embodiment illustrated by the drawings will be found adequate to acquaint those skilled in the art with the manner in which the objects hereinabove stated, and other related objects, are accomplished.

It is to be understood that various details of the exemplary embodiment may be modified, and that not all of them need be used in combination, to practice the invention within the spirit thereof as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In an electrical system for control of a plurality of instrumentalities in accordance with a predetermined cycle, the combination of a proall Z. In an electrical system for control of a plurality of instrumentalities in accordance with a e ined cycle at time intervals at which a am clock is adjusted to cause successive energizaticns of the same signal circuit, the combination of a transfer switch operatively connected to said signal circuit and having connection to one of said instrumentalities for energizing the same in response to energization of the signal circuit by said clock and having means including a limit switch operative in response to such energization of the signal circuit for shifting connection of said transfer switch to the next instrumentality in the cycle for subsequent energization thereof in response to the next energization of the signal circuit.

3. The combination claimed in claim 2, in which the system includes an instrumentality energizing circuit independent of the signal circuit.

4. The combination claimed in claim 2, includrelay means for connecting to the instrumentalities in succession an energizing circuit independent of the signal circuit.

5. In an electrical system for control of a plurality of instrumentalities in accordance with a predetermined cycle, the combination of a program clock adapted to make successive energizations of a single signal circuit at predetermined adjustable time intervals, a transfer switch connected in said signal circuit for receiving said energizations and adjustably connected to said instrumentalities for energizing them in accordance with a predetermined sequence, whereby the combination of the program clock and the transfer switch determines the order in which the instrumentalities operate and the times at which they operate and means including a limit switch operative in response to each energization of the signal circuit and a manually controlled switch for energizing said signal circuit and said transfer switch independently of said program clock.

6. A transfer switch adapted to receive impulses from a signal circuit and in response thereto to energize a plurality of instrumentalities successively in accordance with a predetermined sequence comprising a plurality of contacts each connected to an instrumentality circuit, a conductor in the signal circuit engaging one of said contacts, means responsive to such engagement for energizing an instrumentality with an independent circuit, and means including a limit switch responsive to such energization for engaging said conductor with the next succeeding contact for energization of the instrumentality connected thereto responsive to the next succeeding impulse in the signal circuit.

7. A transfer switch adapted to receive impulses at predetermined time intervals from a signal circuit and in response thereto to energize a plurality of instrumentalities successively in accordance with a predetermined sequence comprising a plurality of fixed contacts each connected to an instrumentality circuit, a conductor in the signal circuit and movable into successive engagement with each of said contacts, means responsive to each such engagement for energizing with an independent circuit the instrumentality connected to the engaged contact, and means including a limit switch responsive to each such energization for moving the conductor into engagement with the next succeeding contact for energization of the instrumentality connected thereto upon reception by the transfer switch of the next succeeding impulse.

8. A transfer switch comprising a plurality of contacts each connected to an instrumentality to be energized, a conductor element movable successively into engagement with each of said contacts to complete independent circuits to said instrumentalities, and means including a limit switch actuated upon energization of said transfer switch for driving said conductor element to stop in engagement with the next succeeding contact of the plurality in response to completion of an independent circuit on each of said engaged contacts.

9. A transfer switch comprising a plurality of contacts each connected to an instrumentality to be energized, a conductor movable successively into engagement with said contacts, a motor for driving said conductor, a double throw switch connected to said motor, and means cooperating with said conductor and movable therewith for energizing said motor through certain of the points of the double throw switch when the conductor is engaged with a contact and for thereafter, during further movement of the conductor, energizing the motor from an independent source through others of said points and operative when the conductor engages the next succeeding contact to stop the motor and thereby stop the conductor on said last named contact.

10. A transfer switch comprising a plurality of contacts each connected to an instrumentality to be energized, a conductor movable successively into engagement with said contacts, a motor for driving said conductor, limit switch means for energizing said motor through a circuit including the conductor and a contact engaged thereby and adapted to be actuated to energize said mtor from an independent source, and means movable with the conductor for actuating said switch means responsive to movement of the conductor from an engaged contact.

11. A transfer switch as claimed in claim 10, in which the contacts are arranged in circular pattern and the conductor is an arm mounted for rotation about the center of said circular pattern.

12. A transfer switch as claimed in claim 10, in which the contact are arranged in circular pattern, and which includes a contact disc 12 mounted for rotation about an axis at the center of said circular pattern and supporting the conductor on one radius and having elements adjustable on other radii for actuating said switch means.

13. A transfer switch as claimed in claim 10, in which the contacts are arranged in circular pattern, and which includes a contact disc mounted for rotation about an axis at the center of said circular pattern and supporting the conductor on one radius and having its peripheral portion formed to receive in adjustably extended positions a plurality of prong elements on other radii for actuating said switch means.

14. A transfer switch as claimed in claim 10, in which the contacts are arranged in circular pattern on a panel surface, and which includes a contact disc mounted for rotation about an axis at the center of said circular pattern and supporting the conductor and the means for actuating the switch means, in combination with a Wheel mounted on the disc diametrically opposite the conductor and bearing on the panel for counteracting thrust of the conductor against the contacts.

15. In an electrical system for control of a plurality of instrumentalities in accordance with a predetermined cycle, the combination of a program clock and a cam operated switch for energizing a signal circuit at predetermined time intervals, a transfer switch in said signal circuit connected to one of said instrumentalities for energizing the same in response to energization of said signal circuit by said clock and said cam operated switch, and means including a limit switch connected with the transfer switch and operative in response to each energization of the signal circuit for shifting connection of the transfer switch to the next instrumentality in the cycle for subsequent energization thereof in respotnse to the next energization of the signal circui 16. The combination claimed in claim 15 including a manually operated switch for energizing said signal circuit and said transfer switch independently of said program clock and said cam operated switch.

STANLEY J. OTIS.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 816,938 Ronell Apr. 3, 1906 1,412,568 Mortensen Apr. 11, 1922 1,809,020 Burdick June 9, 1931 1,848,148 Wheelock Mar. 8, 1932 1,864,074 Krum June 21, 1932 1,971,686 Kinkead Aug. 28, 1934 2,185,394 Arbogast Jan. 2, 1940 2,400,472 Strickland May 14, 1946 

